ducklings eating mud

[Mini Moe]

Wow....everyone here is awesome. Yes....i meant it looks like they are panting and NO Lights. They just hangout with us in their big bbq delivery box that we pretty much clean out daily. Regarding the mud: YEAH!!! I certainly wouldn't want to take them from it. They have sooooo much fun playing in it.

I do have another question: do ducklings get bored? My babies are in a big box that has a plastic liner, newspaper and gads of fresh pine shavings daily, but ther really.seem to like riping the newspaper apart. AND....is their something i could do about each other doodooing on eac other?

Thanks again
Sandy Moe in Sacramento

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

One of my ducklings is also making mud and eating it. He was really getting in to it today. I didn't want him to make a complete mess of the coop, so I covered his mud spot with a towel. I wonder if it is a mineral deficiency that he is trying to correct with mud pie?

When they were 2-4 weeks old, my runner ducklings would open their mouths wide without making any noise. Usually when all of them were getting excited and ready to play. I thought for sure at least one of them was a mute. It looked like they were trying to peep and nothing was coming out. Well, they're all able to make noise, so I guess that's just something they do. And now that they are a little older, it doesn't happen as much.

And yes, in my experience ducklings do get bored. Mine were outgrowing their brooder, so didn't have much room to run around. They started getting into trouble--for example, they would soak their wood shavings with water and eat them! I replaced the bedding with towels, and they started pulling the towels up... even when I put rocks all around the edges

Luckily, we quickly finished building their new duck barn so they were able to move into a large space (8'x8' for four ducklings with a 30'x20' yard to free range in)... they are better off and don't become stir crazy like they would in their brooder. Getting them into a larger space has also prevented them from pooping on each other

 

[Amiga]

I think ducks instinctively know that all sorts of yummy things live in mud - so they just go for it.

Have you ever seen ducks stomp their feet to try to get worms to come up out of the mud? Looks like the ducks are marching in place.

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

I think ducks instinctively know that all sorts of yummy things live in mud - so they just go for it.

Have you ever seen ducks stomp their feet to try to get worms to come up out of the mud? Looks like the ducks are marching in place.

Haha, no I haven't seen that yet! How cool!

 

[MrsBockBockBock]

My duck loves sifting through mud! When I clean out his pool there is usually worms underneath and he is pretty good about beating the chickens to them but he always wins out when I let the hose run a little and he sifts and stomps away. Best day ever for him! Got a video of him today going to town.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My duck loves sifting through mud! When I clean out his pool there is usually worms underneath and he is pretty good about beating the chickens to them but he always wins out when I let the hose run a little and he sifts and stomps away. Best day ever for him! Got a video of him today going to town.

 

[nayeli]

Mine do that too, where I have tiny mud holes like there are crawdads or something =)

 

[faststell]

Ducks eat dirt for the gravel to digest and grind up their food in the gizzard, before passing through it's intestine.If your Ducks have not been outside for a while they will eat quite a bit of dirt to stock up with it.

 

[jtn42248]

My duck loves sifting through mud! When I clean out his pool there is usually worms underneath and he is pretty good about beating the chickens to them but he always wins out when I let the hose run a little and he sifts and stomps away. Best day ever for him! Got a video of him today going to town.

Mine do that. I have 16 Cayugas in an enclosed area and anyplace that there is the least little bit of water they will muck down and make a hole...some of them pretty deep and large. There pen is beginning to look like a lunar landscape.

 

[MrsBockBockBock]

Mine do that. I have 16 Cayugas in an enclosed area and anyplace that there is the least little bit of water they will muck down and make a hole...some of them pretty deep and large. There pen is beginning to look like a lunar landscape.

I get a kick out of watching him stomp about. I really wish I could draw, he'd make a great cartoon!